ESTIVAL Trial: Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Erosive Hand Osteoarthritis Falls Short of Primary Endpoint but Shows Signals in Inflammatory Subgroups
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The ESTIVAL trial represents the first large-scale, multicentre, double-blind investigation into transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) for erosive hand osteoarthritis. The study did not meet its primary endpoint, with no statistically significant difference in pain reduction between the taVNS group and the sham group at 12 weeks. However, post-hoc observations and secondary analyses suggest that taVNS is safe, well-tolerated, and may provide therapeutic benefit specifically in patients exhibiting higher levels of synovial inflammation.
Background: The Clinical Challenge of Erosive Hand Osteoarthritis
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This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.